Sand trap for insert type deep well pump



Nov. 4, 1958 A. B. BRooKs SAND TRAPIFORINSERT TYPE DEEP WELL PUMP Filedsept. 1:5, 1954 M/////\)"//)(/////////////V////// /A l IN V EN TOR.

4r/ie B. Brooks W f l v Hzs AGE T United States4 Patent SAND TRAP FoaINSERT TYPE DEEP WELL PUMP Arlie B. Brooks, Jacksboro, Tex.

Application September 13, 1954, Serial No. 455,411

6 Claims. (Cl. 10S-220) This invention relates to improvements in sandtraps forrpumping wells, and more particularly to sand traps used on andin conjunction with insert type deep well pumps.

Various sand traps have been proposed heretofore, but these were notadaptable for use on insert, reciprocating barrel type pumps that are.used in oil wells to lpump oil therefrom.

The device which constitutes the present invention is so constructedthat it may be readily inserted on the bottom of an insert pump barreland placed in the well with the pump barrel and standing valve, andremoved therefrom as a unit, so that the pump barrel elements, as wellas the standing valve may be serviced and at the same time, the sand maybe removed from the sand trap simply by removing the pump rods, pump andsand trap from the well.

The particular sand trap disclosed herein is especially adaptable foruse on insert type pumps wherein the plunger of the pump is anchoredwithin the seating nipple or working barrel, and the barrel portion ofthe insert pump isreciprocated.

An object of this invention is to provide a sand trap for an insert typepump wherein the sand trap, standing valve and insert pump may beremoved by the removal of the rods from the well.

Another object of this invention is to provide a sand trap whereinliquid, such as oil, in which the sand is entrained, is caused to owupward through a tortuous route so that the sand will be agitated insuch manner as vto cause it to settle out into an especially formedtrap, before the liquid in which the sand was entrained reaches the cupsof the working barrel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sand trap that isattachable to the rods and removable therewith, which removes the sandand other foreign solids before the liquid reaches the moving parts ofthe pump.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a sand trap for apump which is simple in construction, easy to install and to remove froma well` and to remove sand from the sand collecting chamber thereof.

With these objects in mind and others that will manifest themselves asthe description proceeds, reference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts in theseveral views thereof, in which;

Fig. l is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the lowerportion of an insert type reciprocating pump for wells and through thesand trap, showing the sand trap and pump installed within the tubing ofthe well, with certain portions being shown in elevation, and with otherportions broken away and shortened to illustrate the details ofconstruction;

Fig. 2 s a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a 'sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows.

With more detailed reference to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates aseating nipple or working barrel which is usually placed near the lowerend of the tubing of avpumping oil well. The numeral 2 designates aseating collar on the lower end of the seating nipple 1, which collarhas a tapered face 4 therein to complementarily receive the lower end ofan insert type pump which is designated generally at 6. The insertpumphas a reciprocating barrel 8 that is attached to a string of pump rods(not shown) to reciprocate the barrel 8 in the usual well known manner.The working barrel or seating nipple 1 is usually finished on theinterior thereof to receive cups 10 in fluid tight relation so when thelower tapered end 12 of the pump seats in complementary-relation in thetapered portion 4 of the seating collar 2,

the fluid is sealed against passage between the cups and the taperedportion 4 and the lower tapered end of the pump.

The tapered lower end 12 of the pump is internally threaded to receive anipple 14 which extends downward and is threaded both interiorly andexteriorly to receive tubular members 16 and 18 respectively, The innertubular member 16 has perforations 20 therein to permit passage ofliquid inward thereinto from tubing 18 into and through nipple 14 andthence upward through standing valve 22 into and through passage 24 intoinsert pump barrel 8 to be pumped to the surface of the well.

The'insert pump designated generally at 6, has a downwardly extendingnipple 14, the upper end of which engages the valve seat of valve 22 tohold the valve seat in xed r-elation within the pump 6. The lower end ofthe nipple 14 is (screw threaded interiorly and exteriorly to threadablyreceive the respective tubular members 16 and 18, which tubular membersmake up the inner and outer walls of the upper portion of the sand trap.The tubular member 16 has perforations 20 formed within the wallsthereof to permit passage of fluid therethrough, furthermore, thetubular member 16 has a conical lower end 42 which is apertured, asindicated at 40, so as to direct any sand settling out axially downward,so as to keep to a minimum the agitation of the sand during the upwardflow of fluid within the tubular member 18.

The tubular member 18 extends downward and is threaded at its lower endto threadably engage the exteriorly threaded upper end of the body ofthe standing valve 28. The inner diameter of the upper end of the bodyof standing valve 28 is threaded to threadably receive the upstandingtubular member 32. The tubular member 32 forms an annular space 38within tubular member 18 so as to form a sand trap chamber. The upperend of the body of standing valve 28 serves as the bottom closure of theannular sand trap chamber 38. The upper end of the tubular member 32 isclosed, however circumferentially spaced slots 36 are formed through thewall thereof, near the upper end, so as to permit the fluid flowingupward therethrough to flow out into the annular space 38 above thenormal sand settling level, thereby forming a sand trap between thelower end of the insert pump 6 and the body of the lower standing valve28.

It will be readily lappreciated that insert pumps arerun into the tubingon the lower end of the pump rod, and likewise, the insert pump isremoved from the tubing by removing the pump rod, therefore the sandtrap mayV be removed each time the rods are pulled for repairorreplacement of the insert pump.

The liquid and gas containing the solids, such as sand and the like, isdrawn inward through pipe 26 from the formation reservoir near thebottom of the well. Thev liquid and gas containing the solids is drawnupward through a rst standing valve 28 which seats on seat.

Patented Nov,4, 1958 tion of the oil, gas andwaterwithin *thel tube, dueto the high velocity 'of ilw with'iirthis tubing, the uidcontaining-'the sandand other-foreignmatte'r, `passes out through slots36 'into wa larger tubing 18, and due to the liquid passing into` alarger'cross-sectional arezrtubing,

the velocity of the uids is slowed materially,` whereupon the sand andsolids will be vcaused'to settle downward into the annular space 38which'for-ms the sand trap. With the remaining uid passing upward throughpipe 18 and through perforations 20 into tubing 16, such other solidsand sand'that might passrupward into tubing 16,- is directed 'downwardthrough'opening '40 in the lower conical 'end'42of tube16,'thesand willthen iind its way downward into annular trap 38.

It is to'be-pointed out that the sand is efficiently removed during thepumping of the oil by the insert pump and that the sand may be removedfrom the sand trap each time the pump is removed'from the well withoutthe necessity of removing the tubing or making an additional trip withthe rods to remove the sand trap and the sand therein.

While the device has been described and illustrated insome detail forone embodiment thereof, it is to be understoodthat changes may be madein the minor details of construction, and adaptations made to differentinstallations `without departing from` the spirit of the invention orthe scope ofiv the appended claims.

Having thus described therv invention, what is claimed 1. A sand trapfor wells for use on the lower end of a pump rod, which sand trapcomprises a nipple for attachment to thelower end of'said pump rod, aninner and an outer tubular member telescoped together to form an annularspace therebetween, which tubular members are attached to the `lower endof said nipple, a body member, said outer tubular member beingimperforate and extending downward and being secured to said bodymember, said inner tubular member having perforations formed in the wallthereof, which inner tubular member extends downward for only aportieriV of the length of said outer tubular member and has at least aportion of the lower end thereof open, a tubing secured to said 4 bodymember and upstanding therefrom within said outer tubular member for aportionl ofthe length thereof,"so as to form an annular chamber betweenthe outer diameter of said tubing and the inner diameter of said outertubular member, said body member having a substantially axial passageformed therein, which passage is in communication with the interior ofsaid upstanding tubing, said upstanding tubing being closed at the upperend thereof, said upstauding tubing havingflater'al openings toi-med inthe wall thereof near the upper end, and said body member forming abottom for said chamber formed between said upstandin'g tubing andv saidouter tubular member.

2. A sand trap for use on the lower end of a string et pump rods, asdefined in claim 1, wherein said inner tubular member has a conicallower end and wherein said opening formed in the lower end thereof is atthe apex of said cone.

3. The sand trap as defined in claimll, Wh'ereins'aid upstanding tubinghas a series of transverse blie ele'y ments therein.

4. The sand trap as dened in `claim 1, wherein'said body member isdetachably secured to said outer tubular member.

5. The sand trap as'defined in claim 4, wherein saidy upstanding tubingis detachably secured to said body member.

6. A sand trap as dened in claim 1, wherei'nsaid' outer and said innertubular members are threadably secured to said nipple at the respectiveupper ends of said tubular members and wherein said lower end'v of saidouter tubular member and the lower end of lsaid tubing are threadablysecured to said body member at' their lower ends.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

